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(No'ModeL) J. B. SMITH. GAR COUPLING.

No. 578,366. Patented Mar. 9,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. SMITH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,366, dated March 9, 1897. Application filed July 11, 1896. Serial No. 598,867. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES B. SMITH, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to car-couplers; and my object is to produce an improved coupling of the class which may be operated without requiring the attendant to pass between the cars, and thereby endanger his life.

The invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the said accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an end view of a car provided with a coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the coupling. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line III III of Fig. 2.

In the said drawings,"1 represents the car.

2 represents a coupling draw-head, which is secured to the car in the customary or any preferred manner and is provided with the usual flarin g mouth or opening 3. Said mouth or opening communicates with an enlarged opening 4 at its rear end, and at the junction of said openings the draw-head is provided internally with the shoulder 5. Near the upper end of said opening 4 and about vertically above the shoulder 5 the coupling-head is provided with horizontally-alined passages 6, in which is mounted the transverse pivotrod 7, and mounted loosely upon the same is a link-holder 8. This link-holder is bifurcated to form the depending long arm 9, which projects below theplane of the bottom of the opening 3, and short front arm 10, and secured in such bifurcation is a block 11, of rubber or equivalent material.

The link-holder 8 is of such form that it naturally swings to the position shown in dotted lines when not opposed, but when the link 12 is forced into the draw-head, either by hand or by an opposing power, it strikes the depending arm 9 and forces the same to the position shown in full lines, where, it will which is slidingly mounted the link-pin-supporting plate 15. provided with a cylindrical pin or arm 16, extending through a vertical'wall 17, which limits the forward movement of the plate, and through a passage 18. Mounted upon the front end of said pin or arm is a head or enlargement 19, and spirally encircling said pin or arm and bearing at its opposite end against the partition or shoulder 17 and the head or enlargement 19 is a spiral expansion-spring 20. The tendency of said spring is to hold the pin-supporting plate in the advanced position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where it will be noticed that it projects into the pin-hole 13 and supports the coupling-pin 21 by projecting into a notch 21 near its lower end, into which said plate will spring as the pin is elevated and thus secure it in such position, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. Said coupling-pin is provided with a perforated crank-arm 22, and extending loosely through said perforation is the horizontal arm 23 of a vertical sliding rod 24. At the opposite end of said arm 23 it is provided, preferably, with an upwardly projecting shoulder 25. The arm is of such length that it will accommodate the longitudinally-sliding movement of the draw-head, which takes place when the cars come together, and as they recoil from each other the arm or pin 21 sliding during this movement upon the arm 23 of the rod 24. The upturned end 25 of the arm 23 of course prevents any possible chance of disengagement between said pin and said arm.

The rod 24 extends through the guide-loops or staples 26, projecting from the end of the car, and is attached at its upper end to a vertical chain 27, extending through a similar staple or guide-loop 28 and provided with a ring or handle 29 too large to pass downward through the said staple 28. At opposite sides of said rod 24 and near its lower end project Said plate at one end is the hooks 30, and attached at their lower ends to said hooks are a pair of chains or flexible connections 31. The upper ends of said chains are attached to the inner ends of the levers 32, mounted upon the car and provided with handles 33 at their outer ends. At opposite sides of said pivots the levers are guided in the loops 34, carried by said car. These loops also limit the swing of said levers, so that it will be impossible to lift the coupling-pin entirely out of the pin-hole 13 in uncoupling the cars.

When it is desired to couple two cars together, it is first necessary for the couplingpins to be elevated by pulling upward on the ring or handle 29 or by operating one of the levers 32. Immediately the pin is raised to the proper height the plate 15 slips below and supports it, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The link is then arranged properly, as shown, and the cars brought together. As they come together the draw-heads strike and repress the heads 19, and consequently slide the supporting-plates 15 from below the coupling-pins, which latter, by gravity, drop downward and engage the links in the customary manner. To uncouple, it is only necessary to pull upward upon the handle 29 or manipulate prop erly one of the levers. Immediately this is done the pin is elevated and the corresponding plate advances below and supports it.

The front end of the draw-head is rounded, as at 2 in Fig. 3, so that the heads 19 of the spring-actuated plates may be engaged and repressed by the draw-heads of the opposing cars, so as to couple them together upon a curve as reliablyas when upon a straight portion of the track.

In order to obviate any possibility of inj uring the coupling-link, the depth or length of the passages 3 and 4: of both draw-heads taken together exceeds considerably the length of the link. Thus it will be seen that if the two cars come together at any time, either when coupling or when in transit, the impact will always be upon the end of the coupler and never upon the link, it being understood, of course, that when the draw-heads are repressed the link will not be subjected to any end pressure, and consequently will not be bent or twisted.

From the above description it is obvious that I have produced a car-coupling which is positive and reliable in operation, which does away entirely with the necessity of the operators passing between the cars, and which combin es simplicity, strength, durability, and inexpensiveness of manufacture in a high degree.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A car-coupling, comprising a draw-head provided with the customary flaring mouth and registering pin-hole, and in addition with a chamber communicating with the pin-hole and with a passage or cavity communicating with said chamber, a plate arranged in said chamber and projecting into the pin-hole and provided with a headed arm which extends forwardly through said recess or passage, a spring bearing against the draw-head and the head of said arm, so as to hold the same yieldin gly in its advanced position, a coupling-pin in said pin-hole and resting upon said plate and provided at its upper end with an aper ture, a vertical slide-rod secured at the end of the car and provided with an arm engaging said aperture, whereby the coupling-pin may slide forward and backward upon said arm without injury, as the draw-heads come together and spring apart in the coupling operation, and a handle connected to the upper end of said slide-rod, substantially as described.

2. A car-coupling, comprising a draw-head provided with the customary flaring mouth and registering pin-hole, and in addition with a chamber communicating with the pin-hole and with a passage or cavity communicating with said chamber, a plate arranged in said chamber and projecting into the pin-hole and provided with a headed arm which extends forwardly through said recess or passage, a

spring bearing against the draw-head and the head of said arm, so as to hold the same yieldin gly in its advanced position, a coupling-pin in said pin-hole and resting upon said plate and. provided at its upper end with an aperture, a vertical slide-rod secured at the end of the car and provided with an arm engaging said aperture, whereby the coupling-pin may slide forward and backward upon said arm without injury,-as the draw-heads come together and spring apart in the coupling operation, a handle connected to the upper end of said slide-rod, chains connected to said slide-rod, levers connected'to said chains and mounted upon the car and projecting in opposite directions, and guide-loops for said levers, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, provided with the usual flaring mouth or passage and a communicating-pinhole, and, in addition, having said passage enlarged so'as to form an internal shoulder, a link-arm pivotally mounted in said enlarged opening, and bifurcated to form a long arm to come in contact with said shoulder, and a shorter arm, a block of yieldingmaterial fitted between said arms, a coupling-link in said draw-head and engaged by said yielding block of the arm, so that said link shall maintain a horizontal position, and apin in said pin-hole for engagement with said link, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. SMITH. Witnesses:

G. Y. THoRPE, M. R. REMLEY. 

